Supporting Question 1: What was a typical day's work like on a frontier cattle drive?

1. Explain to your students that after the end of the Civil War there was a high demand for meat in the cities where large populations of people lived. However, most cattle ranches were hundreds or thousands of miles from the cities. This began the great era of the cattle drive. At this time in history, Texas had the largest herds of cattle. Without refrigeration, semi-trucks, interstates, or railways extending far beyond the Mississippi river; the only way to transport cattle was to have them walk to the railheads that would take them to the slaughter houses and markets. Keep in mind that home based refrigerators and freezers had not been invented yet. Many people had "iceboxes" something we currently use for camping and picnicking today, but this would not keep meat from spoiling for long. People had created other ways to preserve their meat (drying, curing, canning) and often times kept meat at the local butcher store in a larger refrigerator. Pose the question, "What was a typical day's work like on a frontier cattle drive?"
2. Show portions of the video clip, "Chisolm Trail Cattle Drive" outlined in minutes below:
   • 1:47-4:01 will help set the stage for the historical setting of the cattle drives. This section of video describes the cattle market at the time. There was an over-abundance of cattle in Texas and a shortage of cattle in the East. Students will also be able to see the modern day Texas Longhorn.
   • 5:41-7:45 explains the job of the cowboys or "drovers," how horses were used on the drive, the typical age of cattle drive workers and risks on the drive. It also introduces the Texas Fever, an illness that was transmitted by ticks on Texas cattle.
   • 8:00-9:25 describes the long working hours of cattle drivers.
3. Display the Help Wanted signs by printing them and placing them on the board or projecting them on a screen.
4. Ask your students to imagine themselves in their early 20s in the year 1870. They have recently moved West, along with thousands of others in hopes of a new start and new opportunities. They are looking for work and see these signs advertising cattle trail crew jobs. While men were usually selected as crew, remind your students that some women were part of the cattle drives as discussed in the background.
5. Allow students a little time to look at each position on the cattle drive. Ask for a raise of hands, Who would like to apply to be the Trail Boss? Choose 1 student to "interview" for the position of Trail Boss. Use a mock interview to familiarize your students with each trail position and what life was like on a cattle drive. Use the sample questions and dialogue below as a guide. As the teacher, you will be the rancher conducting the interview. A student volunteer will be the interviewee. Use the information found in the "Background Agricultural Connections" section of the lesson plan to expound on details of the cattle drive as you go through each position.
6. Repeat the "interview" process for each of the four trail positions. Ask students to play along in their answers.
   • Trail Boss:
     • What experience do you have driving cattle?
     • What kind of cowboy skills do you have? Can you ride a horse at top speeds? Can you rope and doctor cattle?
     • Are you physically healthy and capable of working from before the sun rises until after it sets?
     • What are your leadership skills? Can you work with a crew and provide them appropriate assignments to accomplish the task of moving cattle? How would you help solve disagreements among your trail crew?
     • Are you aware of the dangers on the trail? Can you explain how to gain control of a stampede?
     • Ultimately the Trail Boss makes the final decision for the entire crew, do you have the experience and skills to be the best Trail Boss?
       • Use the graphic, "Cattle Drive Positions" to help students visualize the role of each worker. A cattle drive of 1000+ cattle would likely stretch for more than a mile
   • Cook:
     • The cook, commonly known as the "cookie" is responsible for the chuck wagon, do you have experience driving a team of horses pulling a heavy load?
     • The cook rides out ahead of the cattle, which means you will need to identify the best campsites. What skills do you have related to trail riding?
     • If we run into any trouble with Indians or cattle rustlers, you will likely come across them first. How will you prepare for this type of event?
     • The cook will have around 12 hungry people to feed. They expect three hot meals served each day. You will likely be the first to rise and the last to retire to bed. Do you have any problem meeting this expectation?
     • Beans, biscuits, and coffee are the main course for each meal. Do you have experience cooking over a fire? On rare occasions you might serve meat, but only if an animal becomes injured. There may also be a rare occasion to trade with a local farmer along the way for some fresh fruit or vegetables. Do you have skills to prepare fruits and vegetables?
       • To help students learn more about the cook and the chuck wagon, watch the first 2 minutes of the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's video clip, The Chuck Wagon.
   • Cowboy:
     • What experience do you have in driving cattle?
     • What kind of cowboy skills do you have? Can you ride a horse at top speeds? Can you rope and doctor cattle?
     • Are you physically healthy and capable of working from before the sun rises until after it sets? You will also take turns on the night shift to watch the cattle. This is important to watch for predator-type animals, cattle rustlers (thieves), and to keep the animals calm.
     • Do you know how to gain control of a herd of stampeding cattle?
       • Share the background with students concerning cattle stampedes reminding them that a lightning storm, cattle rustlers (who intentionally spooked the cattle), or excessive thirst between watering locations were common causes of a stampede. To gain control of the herd, the cowboys would race to the front of the stampede and try to push the cattle to the right. As the cattle changed directions and turned into a circle they would calm down as the herd turned into a tighter and tighter circle allowing the cowboys to gain full control of the herd.
   • Wrangler:
     • What experience do you have with horses? You will be responsible for saddling all of the horses for the cowboys each day. What are your strengths when handling trail horses?
     • Can you keep a herd of horses contained at night?
     • Many of the horses only have a small amount of training. Are you experienced in horse training?
     • Some horses will experience injuries while out on the trail. Are you capable of making a diagnosis and applying treatment? What are your limitations?
7. Revisit the question, "What was a typical day's work like on a frontier cattle drive?" (Cattle drive workers had specific responsibilities and worked from sunrise until sunset and had rotating night watch. They worked in all types of weather, rode horses, moved cattle, cooked meals, and were paid when the cattle reached their destination.)

Supporting Question 2: What events and inventions changed ranching on the frontier?

1. Ask students why we don't use cattle drives as a means for moving cattle from the ranch to the processing plants. As students offer ideas, explain that you will be exploring the question, "What events and inventions changed ranching on the frontier?"
2. To understand how ranching and typical life on the frontier changed, your students must first understand what it was like initially. Explain to your students that you are going to work together to "paint a picture" of cattle ranching on the American West in the mid 1800s.
3. Draw a line down the center of your board, splitting it in half. The left side of the board will represent cattle ranches on the frontier in the 1800s. The right side of the board will represent modern day cattle ranches.
4. Randomly pass out each slip of paper to a student from the attached Painting a Picture... printout. One by one, beginning with #1, ask the student to read the paper to the class and then draw a sketch on the board to represent their portion of the picture. For example, the student who chooses, "fences," can draw an open prairie with grass, trees, and a stream running through it to help students visualize that cattle were not raised inside of fences. The student with the "Cattle Breeds" paper can draw a few longhorns grazing. The student with "Brands" can draw a brand on the cattle in the field. One, single picture will be drawn step-by-step as each slip of paper is discussed. Keep the drawing on the left side of your board.
5. Repeat this process with the strips of paper labeled with letters A-I. Have students place this drawing on the opposite side of the board.
6. Once the pictures are complete, ask your students, What were the significant changes? What caused the changes to occur in cattle ranching? How did technology affect cattle ranching and the lifestyle of ranchers? What are your predictions for future changes in the industry of cattle ranching?
7. Explain the following inventions and or changes that contributed to the changes of cattle ranching and the American West.
   • Barbed Wire: Prior to the invention of barbed wire, the only method of fencing animals in was wood. This was expensive, time consuming, and wood was not available in abundance on the open prairie. It was not a feasible option for large cattle herds requiring miles and miles of fencing, so they were managed on the open prairies or rangeland. The invention of barbed wire allowed fences to be built. As land owners began fencing in their properties, it became more and more difficult to drive cattle. Show the National Cowboy and Western Heritage Museum's video clip, Barbed Wire.
   • Railroad: When railroads reached Texas, ranchers were able to transport their cattle to the market by railroad. This mode of transportation was safer and more efficient. As refrigeration became common place, cattle were slaughtered at the railhead town and then moved to cities for distribution.
   • Beef Cattle Markets: The era of the cattle drive began due to the high demand and high price of cattle. Like every market, cattle prices rise and fall. The last years of the cattle drive brought low prices for cattle ranchers. Low prices led to little or no profit and contributed to the end of the cattle driving era.
   • Texas Fever: Another contribution to the demise of the cattle drive was the outbreak of what was then called, "Texas Fever." Texas Fever was a deadly disease for cattle. It acquired its name because cattle from the East or origins other than Texas contracted the disease after mixing with cattle from Texas. At first, the disease was especially difficult to understand because cattle from Texas never contracted the disease, only cattle from other parts of the United States. Later it was discovered that the disease was caused by a protozoa that was transmitted by ticks. The ticks would be transported to holding facilities or pastures on Texas cattle. Then, the ticks would drop off the cattle and lay eggs. The new ticks would carry the disease and infect the cattle with the disease that the hardy Texas longhorns were immune to. Texas Fever caused quarantines against Texas cattle making it difficult for ranchers to continue trailing their cattle to the markets.
8. Revisit the question, "What events and inventions changed ranching on the frontier?" (The invention of barbed wire and expansion of the railroad contributed to the redundancy of cattle drives. Events such as the Texas Fever and low demand and market prices also contributed.)